Vacuum operated door lock



Dec. 26, 1950 R. B. HILL 2,535,574

VACUUM OPERATED DOOR LOCK Filed Sept. l2, 1947 ATTOR/V' YS.

@attentati ec. 26, 1.925() UNITED STATES PATENT `OFFICE.

2 Claims. l

This invention relates to vacuum operated door locking mechanisms and especially to a device of this class for use on automobiles.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a mechanism that will lock the doors at the will of the driver at any time while the engine of the automobile is running and thus prevent accidental opening of the doors while the car s in motion.

Another object is to provide means for unlock ing the doors to allow passengers to alight or enter without necessitating the stopping of the engine` These and other objects will appear from the following description and the illustration set out in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l shows an automobile of conventional design with parts broken away to disclose my in vention installed therein.

Figure 2 is a sectional view through the door post of an automobile with the lock bolts positioned therein and the cylinder for operating said bolts shown in section.

Figure 3 is a detail perspective of the bifurcated door attachment for engaging the locking bolts.

Figure 4 is .a sectional view through the con i trol valve.

Figure 5 is an end view of the control valve with the parts in locked position, and

Figure 6 is a similar View with the parts shown in unlocked position.

Referring to Figure l, the body I of an automobile having the usual hood 2 containing the internal combustion motor 3, is shown. A rear door is shown at 4 and the door post against which it closes at 5. The instrument panel or l dashboard is indicated at 6 and the bulkhead at the forward end of the body, at 1.

Mounted through the under side of the in strun'ient panel is a cylinder 8 having an internally threaded annular collar B projecting from its upper side. Connected to the collar is one end of a flexible metal tube or pipe I0 which extends forward and through a suitable aperture in the bulkhead and has itsother end inserted through the intake manifold ofthe motor, as shown at Il. Since, when the motor is running, suction through the intake manifold is created, a vacuum will be produced within the tube I0. In circumferential alignment with the collar 9 on the cylinder 8, a vent or port l2 is formed in the side of the said cylinder at a point 90 degrees from said collar. Threaded into the rear end of the cylinder is a cap i3 which forms an airtight closure for the said end and a second flexible metal tube I4 connects with the interior of said cylinderA through the cap. A cylinder valve I5 ts within' the cylinder and has a passage I6 extending'I radially from its center at a point in alignmentwith the vent I2 and thecollar 9. A longitudinali passage l? running centrally through the valve connects the passage I5 with the rear end of the said valve. The forward end of the valve is rew duced and extends through the head of the cylin-5 der 8 and has tted thereon a disc I8 formed of insulating material. cured to the periphery of the disc for one-duarter of its circumference and is designed to be moved-l rearward under the floor of the car and enters. The tube I 4 then extends upward.-

the post 5. centrally through the door post and terminates in a connection to the bottom of a cylinder 22 which is mounted inside the post. .A piston 23 within the cylinder 22 connects to the lower extremity of a rod 24 which projects upward and through ay collar 25 on a screw cap 2G whichforms the head: The upper end of the rod 24.* forms an integral part of a T crosshead 2l which of the cylinder.

carries on its opposite ends depending bolt members 28. Between the crosshead 27 and the col-: lar 25, a coil spring 29 encircles the rod 24 and is tensioned to exert a slight upward pressure against the crosshead. The strength of the spring.`

will be just sufficient to support the crosshead, rod and piston in raised position.

At a point slightly above the cylinder 22, the. sides of the posts 5 are bent inwardly and form oppositely disposed rectangular receptacles 4ll each of which is open toward its matching door vertically aligned openings 32 are formed in the top and bottom walls of the rectangular portionsand are de:E

and the outside of the car.

signed to receive the bolts 28.

Attached to the free vertical edge of each door at a point to register with the corresponding rectangular portion, is a lug 33, best shown in Figure 3. The front end of the lug is bifurcated to form spaced arms 34 which are designed to lie within the respective portions 3U when the door is closed and to straddle the aligned apertures 32.

At a point on the instrument panel easily A contact plate I9 is se The battery in thel visible to the driver, will be a signal lamp 35 which is electrically connected to the contact points 20.

In the operation of my device, after the passengers are seated, the doors closed and the motor started, when the driver desires to lock the said doors so that they cannot be opened with the conventional handles thereon, the lever 2l is moved to the point shown in Figures 4 and 5. This positions the cylinder valve I5 to align the passage I6 with the openings in the collar 9. The tube Ill being connected to the intake manifold of the running motor, the suction created in the said tube It, the communicating passages l and Il and the tube l, produces a vacuum in the cylinder 22 between the piston 23 and the bottom of said cylinder. The pull of the vacuum against the piston overcomes the tension of the spring 29 and draws the said piston toward the bottom of the cylinder. This results in the lowering of the crosshead 2l, and bolts 2'8 which descend through the openings 32 in the upper walls of the rectangular portions, pass between the bifurcated arms 3d of the lugs and enter the aperture in the lower wall of the housing. As long as the lever 2l remains in the above described position and the engine continues to run, the vacuum will be maintained in the cylinder 22 and the bolts inserted in the lugs will continue to keep the doors locked. At this position of lever 2l the contact plate i2 carried by the disc I8, has been moved to join the circuit between the contact points 2u and cause the lamp 35 to glow. When it is desired to unlock the doors to discharge or admit passengers without stopping the motor, the lever 2| is rotated one quarter of a turn to the position shown in Figure 6. This moves the cylinder valve l5 to bring the passage i6 into registry with the port l2 and thus blocks communication between the said passage and the tube l. Air entering through the port i2 and tube lli will now iill the cylinder 22 and allow the spring 29 to raise the piston and the crosshead and thus withdraw the bolts from the lugs. This movement of the level` 2| will likewise move the contact plate I9, break the circuit and extinguish the lamp 35. It will be noted by reference to Figure 2, that when the piston 23 has reached the limit of its upward movement, the bolts 28 have not been entirely withdrawn from the top aperture 32. They are thus prevented from being moved out of alignment with said apertures.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. In a latch mechanism for use in an automobile door post provided with opposed receptacles extending inwardly from opposite sides thereof for the reception of bifurcated lugs carried by the doors mounted adjacent said door post,'said latch mechanism comprising a vertically disposed closed ended cylinder positioned below said receptacles within said door post and xedly secured to the latter, a piston disposed within said cylinder and mounted for sliding movement longitudinally thereof, a rod extending through the upper closed end of said cylinder and slidably mounted in the latter, said rod having its lower end xedly secured to said piston and having its upper end arranged exteriorly of said cylinder and above said receptacles, a pair of bolt members arranged above said receptacles and mounted on the upper end of said rod for movement into and across said receptacles for interlocking relation with the bifurcated lugs adapted for mounting on said doors, resilient means operatively connected to said bolt members for normally urging said bolt members out of said receptacles, and vacuum actuable means operatively connected to the lower closed end of said cylinder for eecting the movement of said bolt members into and across said receptacles.

2. In a latch mechanism for use in an automobile door post provided with opposed receptacles extending inwardly from opposite sides thereof for the reception of bifurcated lugs carried by the doors mounted adjacent saidA door post, said receptacles each being provided with a pair of apertures in superimposed spaced relation with respect to each other and in alignment with the bifurcated portion of the adjacent one oi said lugs when the lugs are received within said receptacles, said latch mechanism comprising a vertically disposed closed ended cylindel1 positioned below said receptacles within said door post and xedly secured to the latter, a piston disposed within said cylinder and mounted for sliding movement longitudinally thereof, a rod extending through the upper closed end of said cylinder` and slidably mounted in the latter, said rod having its lower end Xedly secured to said piston and having its upper end arranged exteriorly of said cylinder and above said receptacles, a pair of bolt members arranged above the apertures in each of said receptacles and mounted on the upper end of said rod for movement into and across said receptacles for interlocking relation with the bifurcated lugs adapted for mounting on said doors, resilient means operatively connected to said bolt members for normally urging said bolt members out of the superimposed spaced apertures provided in said receptacles, and vacuum actuable means operatively connected to the lower closed end o1" said cylinder for effecting the movement of said bolt members into and across said receptacles.

ROBERT B. HILL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent: 

